Carbs are Back and Food Halls on the Rise, while Obama is the most trusted source for a NYC Resto Reco and Momofuku Nishi is the most coveted reservation

Looking for the best places to eat in NYC? The scores have been tallied, and today, Zagat is unveiling its 2017 New York City Restaurants results, covering 2,171 eateries - from food halls to fine dining, tacos to trattorias - and everything in between. The results are based on the feedback of 30,961 local diners and curated by Zagat’s expert editors. Results are available today in the new Zagat iPhone App, on Zagat.com and in the 2017 Zagat NYC guide.

Known for its succinct reviews, Zagat proves that small things are easier to digest. To highlight this Zagat is opening a Tiny Cafe at Astor Place serving up free tiny dishes inspired by some of the city’s best restaurants from Thursday, 10/27 to Saturday, 10/29.

Mini tacos from Los Tacos No. 1

This year, New Yorkers report eating 4.9 lunches and dinners per week and spending an average of $50.11 per person for dinner. In comparison, in 2014, the average meals out per week was 4.7 and the average cost was $48.15.

This year’s top rated newcomer is French-American restaurant Kingsley in the East Village which reviewers say is the “best-kept secret - but not for long”. Following behind are Indian Accent, Lilia, Quality Eats, Llama Inn, High Street on Hudson, Le Coq Rico and Cafe Altro Paradiso. Notable restaurants that are too new to have ratings but have had great word of mouth include Agern, Emmy Squared, Karasu, Le Coucou, Olmsted and Paowalla.

Kingsley (credit: Michael Altobello)

Eric Ripert’s “world class”, “transcendent” French Seafooder Le Bernardin wins Top Food for the 8th year in a row - an unprecedented achievement in the 38 year history of Zagat. Le Bernardin also swept Top Service, Most Popular, Top French and Top Seafood. Only one major category, Top Decor, was won by another restaurant, Asiate, in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Other contenders for the Top Food ratings are Bouley, Jean-Georges, Daniel, Gotham Bar and Grill, Peter Luger, Tocqueville and Gramercy Tavern. Relative newcomer, Gabriel Kreuther broke onto the Top Food list coming in at No. 7.

With the influx of new pizza-pasta-focused places opening, such as Pasquale Jones, Emmy Squared, Lilia and La Sirena, it’s safe to say that carbs are back! And 55% of New Yorkers say they love this trend. To keep up with this demand, Zagat has added new lists this year for Donuts (winner: Peter Pan Donut) and Bagels (winner: Absolute Bagels).

With election season in full swing, Zagat asked diners which past, current or future president they would trust for a restaurant recommendation. The winner: Barack Obama. If diners were owed a favor from the president in the form of a prized NYC dinner reservation at a hot new place, the top picks were Momofuku Nishi,Le Coucou and La Sirena. When queried about their plans for the election night, (54%) said they would be watching tv at home over takeout.

Food halls, which were almost non-existent 10 years ago, have been expanding with more on the horizon. This year, newcomers include The Great Northern Food Hall, The Pennsy, TurnStyle, and Union Fare, while Jean-Georges’ seafood-themed food hall and the Bourdain Market at Pier 57 on the Hudson are on tap.

Among Zagat reviewers, a record 41% say they approve of eliminating tipping. Newcomers such as Agern, Faun, Freek’s Mill, Pasquale Jones and b joined a growing number of established restaurants like Dirt Candy, Huertas, Eleven Madison Park and Danny Meyer restaurants (The Modern, b) in adopting the tip free practice, but raising prices to compensate.

Restaurant trends like farm-to-table dining resonate with diners with 70% of New Yorkers claiming they love it, while roughly 65% of respondents now dismiss gimmicky dishes such as the gold donut and rainbow bagel, and 58% say kale salad is a dish they are tired of seeing on menus.

While Zagat’s trusted guidance remains the same, we have updated the Zagat look and feel. See for yourself by downloading the Zagat iPhone app or getting the 2017 Zagat NYC guidebook to start planning your next great meal.